Requirements Tracing is one of the processes in Requirements Management; documenting, analyzing, tracing, prioritizing, and controlling. Tracing is conducted throughout a system’s life cycle and confirmed at each technical review for all new and old requirements. The purpose is to assure that the requirements continue to meet the needs and expectations of its customers and Stakeholders. [2]
All requirements should be traced back to user-defined capabilities documented in the Initial Capabilities Document (ICD), Capability Development Document (CDD), and Capability Production Document (CPD). A good requirements management system should allow for traceability from the lowest level component in the Weapons System Specification (WSS) all the way back to the ICD. The Program Manager (PM) and systems engineer should institute a Requirements Management process that includes tracing to do the following: [1]
- Maintain the traceability of all requirements from capabilities needs through design and test,
- Document all changes to those requirements, and
- Record the rationale for those changes
Requirements should be maintained in a relational database, numbering standards, or other methods that show relationships. There are a number of relational databases on the market that systems engineers can use that include:
AcqLinks and References:
- [1] Defense Acquisition Guidebook (DAG) – Chapter 4
- [2] Website: Wikipedia – Requirements Management
- Website: First Things First: Prioritizing Requirements by Karl E. Wiegers
Updated: 8/4/2021
